(ENG) [May Special Interview] Kim Seo-young, CEO of Hylium Industries

16 May 2023



  • Reporter Yoon Seo-yeon


http://www.todayenergy.kr/news/articleView.html?idxno=260386


“We will lead the liquefied hydrogen industry”
Domestic liquefied hydrogen needs to change. Due to lack of regulations we plan to
expand overseas our  business and develop liquefied hydrogen carriers


[Today Energy Reporter Yoon Seo-yeon]  Hylium Industries independently developed liquefied hydrogen technology for the first time in Korea. It is pioneering the market as the first generation in the domestic liquefied hydrogen field with the title of 'first' in the fields of production, storage, transportation and safety. With its self-developed liquefied hydrogen technology, it has successfully developed and supplied fuel systems for vehicles, aircraft, drones and ships for the first time in the world. We met Kim Seo-young, CEO of Hylium Industries , which opened the first generation of the liquefied hydrogen market, and talked about the vision of the liquefied hydrogen industry and the infinite possibilities of liquefied hydrogen.


■ What is the business in progress at Hylium?


Hylium Industries is the first company in Korea to independently develop liquid hydrogen production, storage, transportation, and safety technologies. It is growing into a global company to the extent that most of its sales are earned overseas. Liquefied hydrogen technology is an advanced technology traditionally closely related to the aerospace industry. Since it is impossible to transfer technology from developed countries, Hylium has been developing hydrogen liquefaction, transportation, storage and safety technologies with its own technology.


Based on this, it is developing drones and hydrogen charging stations as core business areas. Liquefied hydrogen is very convenient to store and transport, and is about 10 times more efficient than lithium batteries, so drones using liquefied hydrogen can fly for 4 to 5 hours. Based on the performance delivered to various domestic and foreign customers, it is expanding its business to various industries such as agriculture, military, and drone delivery. Early next year, it plans to challenge the Guinness record by flying an unmanned aerial vehicle for 72 hours with a transatlantic project. The fuel system was supplied to a project that runs 3,000 km from Senegal in Africa to Brazil. In the case of hydrogen charging stations, charging stations are currently being built in Daejeon, Jeju Island, Busan, and Yangsan. Currently, the Daejeon charging station is completed.


■ The reason for promoting the gas-type filling station business.


The reason for promoting the gas station project is to prepare for the start of liquefied hydrogen production in the future. In fact, supplying liquefied hydrogen to the filling station is more advantageous for operation. Currently, when hydrogen is brought in by a tube trailer, it is supplied to the charging station for 10 hours, compressed, and charged to the car. Not only does it take a long time, but it also requires securing a parking space for a tube trailer. However, liquid hydrogen is supplied to the storage tank in one hour. Not only time is shortened, but since there is no need for tube trailers or chillers required at gas-type charging stations, idle space is created, enabling more efficient operation.


A liquid hydrogen pump is required to charge liquid hydrogen at a hydrogen filling station. The technology is currently available in Germany, Japan, and the United States, and Hylium is also developing its own pump. The technology will be demonstrated later this year. Based on this, the company plans to actively participate in the liquefied hydrogen filling station business, and sales of more than KRW10 billion are expected.


■Liquefied hydrogen drones had difficulties in testing because there were no related laws.


Korea is a country currently lacking in regulations . In other words, until there is a law, there is no test and no project that can be promoted. Fortunately, Gangwon-do was selected as a liquefied hydrogen regulation-free special zone three years ago, and the test can be conducted based on Gangwon-do. The problem is that there is no law, so we can't release the product. If the Korea Gas Safety Corporation hastily prepared laws and the government also switched to negative regulations, it would have been able to speed up as a leading country in the hydrogen economy by accumulating a lot of data through demonstration. In the case of foreign countries, negative regulations are the majority, so there are many cases that have already been verified. It is urgent to acknowledge such cases and lay the groundwork for active liquefied hydrogen business in Korea.


■The liquefied hydrogen ship project is also being promoted. How is it going?


Hydrogen ships are emerging as a future fruitful business. The International Maritime Organization (IMO) is also promoting the implementation of ultra-intense global environmental regulations to achieve zero carbon emissions by 2050. Accordingly, liquefied hydrogen carriers, which are higher value-added carriers than existing LNG carriers, are attracting attention. Domestic shipbuilders have already started development, and we have also signed a business agreement with Korea Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering to develop our own carrier, and we plan to build it by 2030.


In addition, the city of Pyeongtaek is currently promoting a project to enable port guide ships to operate with hydrogen from 2025. However, there are currently no related laws and regulations for liquefied hydrogen ships. Since it is illegal to produce liquefied hydrogen, it is impossible to recharge or float the ship. In fact, a liquefied hydrogen fishing boat was built in Gangwon-do, but it could not be operated, so it had to be left in the parking lot of Gangwon Techno Park. The issue of cooperation between the Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries and the Ministry of Industry, which is the upper level institution, remains, and another issue remains regarding the licensing authority for bunkering facilities.


■You are also conducting a hydrogen ship business with ACUA OCEAN in the UK. What can be expected from this.


Acua Ocean-related businesses were in a situation where it was difficult to even have a face-to-face meeting due to the global pandemic. Online video conferencing required technical specifications and challenges to overcome. In this project, Hylium's expertise in liquefied hydrogen was recognized, and it was significant to participate as an energy supply partner for unmanned autonomous ships. In particular, as Hylium secured business rights in Northeast Asia this year, it is expected to contribute greatly to the expansion of the unmanned autonomous vessel market through commercialization. It is meaningful in that it starts from a technical cooperation relationship and grows into a commercialization business partner. There is also a plan to upgrade the performance of unmanned autonomous ships by additionally installing high-tech products such as liquefied hydrogen drones owned by Hylium.


■What is required to activate liquefied hydrogen.


It is definitely a solution to the regulatory problem. We talk about the hydrogen industry and the hydrogen economy, but there are no laws or regulations related to liquefied hydrogen in Korea. As mentioned earlier, it is not easy to commercialize even if you have technology due to lack of regulations. From the second half of this year, large domestic companies are planning to enter the market and produce liquefied hydrogen in large quantities, so I think various systems such as laws and certifications will be established.


In addition, it is very urgent to nurture manpower in related fields. Hylium is conducting liquefied hydrogen training in-house. Very few people in Korea have ever dealt with liquefied hydrogen. Since very few people understand the characteristics of liquefied hydrogen, our company has established a hydrogen academy and educates employees once a week. Since liquefied hydrogen is a cryogenic substance with a temperature of -253℃, safety education is essential. From the basics of hydrogen safety, thermodynamics and fluid dynamics for designing hydrogen tanks or liquefiers are taught.


In addition to this, I hope that the common people's misunderstanding about liquefied hydrogen will be resolved. More than 90% of gas accidents are caused by pipes or tanks bursting because they cannot withstand the pressure. In the case of liquid hydrogen, it is a very safe energy source at the pressure level of tap water. It is an essential transportation and storage method in a hydrogen economy society that uses hydrogen in large quantities. I hope that misunderstandings about liquefied hydrogen will be resolved and many people will pay attention and watch.


■What will happen when the era of liquefied hydrogen opens in earnest?


Revitalization of the hydrogen economy is intertwined with the issue of carbon neutrality. In the hydrogen economy, 4-50% is focused on the power generation business and about 25% on the mobility business. The rest of the sector has technologies that are still inaccessible, such as industrial hydrogen. First of all, it is expected that replacement will be possible in an eco-friendly way in the field of power generation and mobility. In particular, in the field of heavy mobility that requires long distances such as diesel trucks, ships, and aircraft, using liquefied hydrogen rather than batteries can be an alternative. In fact, according to the information announced by Airbus at the Hyvolution hydrogen exhibition held in Paris last February, it was predicted that from 2060, 700 tons of liquid hydrogen will be needed in aviation per day. It means that the era of eco-friendly liquefied hydrogen mobility such as aircraft, ships, trains, and commercial vehicles using liquefied hydrogen will open. It may sound like a story in the distant future, but it will not be long before the general public will experience the hydrogen era.


■Goals for this year and plans for the future.


The current cumulative investment amount is about 35 billion won. However, operating profit is in the red due to technology development and facility investment. This year, it is expected to turn a profit by achieving its sales target of 34 billion won, and plans to go public next year for stable business progress. It plans to expand its foothold by focusing on overseas businesses such as the United States and Mexico. In order for Korea to become a leading hydrogen country, it is necessary to transform innovative thinking in each field. I hope that ordinary citizens will pay attention to the use of liquefied hydrogen in various fields in the era of hydrogen, which is a clean energy, rather than having a vague reluctance toward hydrogen.


출처 : 투데이에너지(http://www.todayenergy.kr)





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